Must-try Restaurants In Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland, is a diverse seaport city rich in history. It is also culturally diverse, which makes for some wonderful sights and delightful culinary options. With so many dining choices from classic American fare to Afghan cuisine, it can be hard to choose where to stop and grab a bite to eat. Here’s a list of must-try restaurants in Baltimore.

Must-try Restaurants In Baltimore, Maryland

Ananda

It’s easy to be drawn in by the beautiful, glowing décor of the dining rooms at this Howard County Indian cuisine oasis, but when you leave, you’ll mostly remember the impeccable service and food. Ananda does standards well, like bengan bhartha—eggplant roasted with coriander, onions, and tomatoes—but it excels with dishes like its impossibly tender lamb shank, served over vegetable biryani. Start with an order of palak chaat, crispy spinach with creamy yogurt and pomegranate and tamarind chutney. It’s a pleasing combination of salty, sweet, and tangy flavors.

Bygone

At Bygone, no attention to detail is spared. The place drips in gold, feathers, and flowers. The backlit bar is stocked with rare elixirs, while the dining room—all velvet and floor-to-ceiling glass—sparkles and soars. With your head in the clouds (almost literally, from the 29th floor of the Four Seasons), the whole experience can feel a bit dizzying, but that only adds to the fun. Picture this: On one visit, a dollop of lobster salad on tomato focaccia amuse bouche wows and complimentary bubbly arrives at the table, followed by a plate of Dover sole artfully deboned tableside then smothered in smoked mussels and succulent prawns. A paper doily (remember those?) even gets placed under the ice-cream sundae, and chocolate truffles arrive with every bill. All these little touches add up to something big.

Bar Vasquez

Situated between the ever-growing restaurant scenes in Harbor East and Fells Point, Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf’s Argentine steakhouse can get lost in the shuffle. Overlook it at your own peril. Executive chef Mario Cano Catalán churns out dishes that burst with South American flair, like poached and seared octopus and a tender Wagyu steak served with as good a chimichurri as one can hope to find north of the equator. With a bar, a lounge, and a large dining room that, despite its density, never gets overwhelmingly loud, the food is as pleasurable as the atmosphere. Service is stellar—on a recent trip, our server overheard our plan to split a few dishes, which miraculously emerged from the kitchen on two plates, at no extra charge.

Thames Street Oyster House

One of the must-try restaurants in Baltimore, Thames Street Oyster House is a classic oyster house specializing in traditional and modern fresh seafood all within a charming environment. Guests can sit downstairs where the main bar is located and sample a variety of raw items, upstairs where they can enjoy a beautiful view of the water, or even in a lovely courtyard. With a host of options from the raw bar, seafood lovers can also enjoy a variety of other dishes, including a New England lobster roll, cast iron crab cakes served with spicy remoulade, cucumber salad, and fingerling potato salad, and a family-style lobster pie. Rounding out the menu are beverages, which include wine and cocktails, plus tasty desserts.